Terrorists Raid Kwara Village Near Woro, Loot Shops

Community members said no deaths were recorded during the raid, though the terrorists broke into several shops and carted away goods

Armed men on motorcycles late Saturday stormed Gada Oli, a village near Wawa and a few kilometres from Woro in the Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, shooting into the air and looting phone shops, residents have said.

SaharaReporters first reported the incident, quoting community sources who said the attackers rode into the village at night, causing panic as residents fled.

“They entered the community on motorbikes and started shooting in the air to chase people away,” a resident told the publication. “After people ran, they entered phone stores and took phones.”

Community members who spoke anonymously for fear of being targeted said no deaths were recorded during the raid, though the terrorists broke into several shops and carted away goods.

The latest incident comes weeks after coordinated attacks on Woro and Nuku communities on 3 February left more than 100 residents dead in one of the deadliest assaults recorded in the state in recent years.

Humanitarian officials and local authorities reported mass burials in the aftermath, while survivors recounted how the gunmen surrounded the villages and opened fire.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the federal government subsequently launched Operation Savannah Shield, a joint military campaign involving the Army, Navy and Air Force, to stabilise Kwara North and adjoining parts of Niger State.

The operation, headquartered at the Sobi Military Cantonment in Ilorin, was described by the Chief of Defence Staff as a sustained offensive to dismantle terrorist networks operating within forest corridors, including areas around the Kainji Lake National Park.

Despite the deployment, residents say attacks and threats have persisted.

In neighbouring Edu and Patigi local government areas, fear of further violence has disrupted daily life, including religious observances during Ramadan.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that Muslim worshippers in communities such as Gbugbu, Kpanpkanragi, Motokun and Agboro have scaled back or abandoned night congregational prayers due to security concerns and movement restrictions.

“Everyone knows our mosques used to fill every night in Ramadan. But now people are afraid,” a resident of Gbugbu said.

“Many families pray inside their homes because going to the mosque after sunset is risky.”

Kaiama Local Government authorities recently imposed a night curfew from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m., citing lingering threats after the February massacre.

Security analysts attribute the recurring attacks to cross-border movements of armed groups and the exploitation of forested terrain that provides cover and mobility.

Efforts to obtain official comments were unsuccessful. Calls placed to the Kwara State Police Public Relations Officer, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, were not answered as of the time of filing this report.